Weighing-machine.



` No. 663,959. Patented Dec. I8, |900.

A. CRAWFORD.

WEIGHING MACHINE.

[Application lef Sept.. l2, 1900.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

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No. 663,959. Patented Dec. I8, |900.

A. CRAWFORD.

WEIGHING MACHINE.

(Application led Sept. 12, 1900.\

(No Modal.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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y I Jhimeys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT CRAWFORD, OF BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN.

WEIGHlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,959, dated December 18, 1900.

Application filed September 12, 1900. Serial No. 29,826. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT CRAWFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Battie Creek, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Weighing-Machine, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in Weighing-machines.

The objects of the present invention are to improve the construction of weighing machines and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive one capable of rapidly and accurately weighing various kinds of material automatically.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a weighing-machine constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View of the same, the section being taken through one side of the casing and the rotary weighing-receptacle being shown in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a central vertical sectional view. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on line 4t t of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the lever-frame.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a casing provided at the top with an inlet-hopper 2 and havinga dischargeopening 3 at its bottom, and the said casing, which is mounted upon a suitable chute et, is provided at opposite sides with vertical slots 5, receiving pivots 6 of a rotary weighingreceptacle 7. The rotary weighing-receptacle, which is circular, is composed of two circular heads or sides 7 and approximately radial partitions S, forming compartments for the reception of the material to be weighed, and the said partitions 8 are provided near their outer ends with angular bends 9, adapted to hold the material in the compartments until a sufficient amount has accumulated to counterbalance the weighing-poises and release and rotate the weighing-receptacle to discharge such material and bring an empty compartment in position beneath the inlethopper to receive a fresh charge.

The pivots, which maybe formed by a transverse shaft or any other suitable means, are arranged in bearings 10 of an approximately rectangular lever-frame 11,which is composed of similar sides 12 and an outer connecting cross-piece 13. The bearings 10 are located at the terminals of the sides, as clearly shown in Fig. 5 oi' the accompanying drawings, and the lever-frame is provided at the ends of the outer cross-piece with depending arms 14, having bearing-openings and receiving pivots l5, extending laterally from the exterior of the casing and preferably forming knifeedge bearings. The sides of the lever-frame are connected by short vertical links 16 with the inner arms of beams 17, which have their outer arms graduated and provided with adjustable weighing-poises 1S, adapted to be moved inward and outward to vary the amount of the charge of material necessary to operate the weighing-machine. The ends of the links are bifurcated t0 receive upper and lower pivots 19 and 20, and these pivots also form knife-edge bearings. The beams 17 are fulcrumed between their ends in brackets 21, having openings receiving pivots 22, which also form knife-edge bearings.

The rotary weighing-receptacle is provided at intervals with stops 23, mounted on the outer faces of the sides or heads 7 and corresponding tothe several compartments and arranged to engage wheels or rollers 24,1n ounted on the inner faces of the sides of the casing, as clearly illustrated in Fig. Il of the accompanying drawings. These stops 23 successively engage the rollers 24, as indicated in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings, and when the weighing-receptacle has received a charge of material sufficient to counterbalance the weighing-poises and depress the said weighing-cylinder the stop 23 will be carried below the roller or wheel 24 and the weighing-receptacle will be permitted to revolve sufficiently to discharge its contents and bring an empty compartment in position beneath the inlet-hopper to receive another charge. The rollers, which are located within the casing, are mounted on pivots of plates 30, which are secured to the exterior of the casing, as

clearly illustrated in Figs. l and et of the drawings. The pivots of the rollers 24 are arranged at the lower ends of the plates 30 and extend through the casing.

In order to positively raise the rotary Weighing-receptacle and guide it into the proper position for receiving another charge of material, it is provided at opposite sides with an annular series of curved flanges 25, forming cam-shaped tracks extending around the receptacle and diverging rearwardly from the peripheral edges oi the sides or heads and terminating a suliicient distance from the stops to space their rear ends from the rollers or wheels to permit the weighing-receptacle to move downward for dumping a charge of material. These cam-shaped anges move the cylinder upward and permit the first portion of the dumping movement. of the same to be rapid and check such movement toward the end of the same and prevent any heavy shock when the stops strike the rollers or Wheels.

The inner ends of the beams 17 are arranged within vertical openings 26 of guides or keepers 27, consisting of L-shaped plates arranged as clearlyshown in Fig. l. The slidingpoises are provided with clamping-screws 29 for engaging the outer arms of the beams; but any other suitable clamping devices may be employed.

It will be seen that the weighing-machine is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, that it is automatic in its operation, and that the curved lianges which extend inward from the periphery of the weighing-receptacle positively guide the latter and check the rotary movement thereof to relieve the machine of jar when the stops strike the rollers which form stops at opposite sides of the casing.

What I claim isl. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a casing, a rotary weighingreceptacle mounted within the casing and provided with compartments, an annular series of curved flanges corresponding with the compartments and located between the peri phery of the receptacle and the center thereof and extending inward from the periphery at an angle to the same, stops mounted on the weighing-receptacle and corresponding with the compartments thereof and located adjacent to the inner ends of the flanges, a device mounted on the casing and arranged to be engaged by the flanges and the stops, and a weighing-poise connected with the weighing-receptacle, substantially as described.

2. In a weighing-machine, the combination of a casing provided with a roller or wheel, a rotary weighing-receptacle arranged within the casing and provided with compartments, stops corresponding with the compartments and mounted on the exterior of the weighingreceptacle and adapted to engage the roller or wheel successively, and the curved flanges mounted on the rotary weighing-receptacle at points between the periphery and the center of the latter and extending inward from the said periphery at an angle thereto and forming cam-surfaces and arranged to run on the roller or wheel, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a weighing-machine, the combination of a casing provided at opposite sides with slots, a rotary weighing-receptacle mounted within the casing and having pivots extending through the slots, the approximately rectangular lever-frame composed of parallel sides and a transverse portion connecting the outer ends of the sides, said sides being pivoted at their outer ends to the casing and connected at their inner ends to the pivots ol' the weighiiig-receptacle, the horizontal beams located above the lever-frame and fulorumed between their ends1 weights arranged on the outer arms of the beams, and the links oonnected with the inner arms ot' the beams and with the sides of the lever-frame near the center of the said sides, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto ailixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT CRAWFORD.

Witnesses:

EDWARD S. JEFFREY, Louis LANGOLF. 

